The US Navy has received its latest warship from Lockheed Martin at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.
It will be designated the USS Beloit (LCS 29), the 15th Freedom-class littoral combat ship, 29th in the LCS class, and the first to be named after the city of Beloit in Wisconsin.
The future LCS 29 is a fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored small surface combatant capable of unrestricted operations in near-shore and open-ocean environments.
It successfully completed acceptance trials in August, where the navy assessed its combat systems, propulsion, auxiliary functions, and electrical components.
The warship will be commissioned later this year and stationed in Mayport, Florida.
“Beloit is another shining example of what it means to finish strong,” Littoral Combat Ship Program Office Program Manager Capt. Matthew Lehmann said.
“Our industry partners stood up to the challenge to deliver this ship on an aggressive schedule. Beloit’s delivery is helping the Navy to put more players on the field,” he added.
The US Navy took delivery of its 14th Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Nantucket (LCS 27) in August and anticipates the delivery of USS Cleveland (LCS 31) in 2025.
Warship Specifications
Vessels under the Freedom variant have a combined diesel and gas turbine with steerable water jet propulsion.
The ships measure 118.1 meters (387 feet) in length, have a beam of 17.6 meters (57.7 feet), and a draft of 4.3 meters (14.1 feet).
For mission capabilities, they are equipped with advanced systems, including the COMBATSS-21 combat management system, an automated radio room, and an open architecture computing environment.
Their self-defense suite includes the TRS-4D Air Search Radar, SeaRAM (r) medium caliber 57 mm Mk 110 gun, gunfire control systems, and decoy launching systems.
The full load displacement of these vessels is approximately 3,450 metric tons, allowing them to cruise at speeds exceeding 40 knots (46 miles/74 kilometers per hour).
They can accommodate a core crew of 50 sailors, with the ability to fit up to 98 depending on mission requirements.
Additionally, the flight deck is over 1.5 times larger than those of traditional surface combatants and includes hangar space capable of housing either two MH-60 helicopters or one MH-60 helicopter alongside an MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle.
